Franklin J Schaffner's seminal 1968 science fiction epic is one of those legendary films that has the misfortune to spawn an entire range of films and other outlets that become increasingly and depressingly shorn of quality (the 'Star Wars Effect'). Even Tim Burton's visually stunning-but-empty remake couldn't phase the outstanding achievement of the original old-school approach to a strangely Gallic novel.
Paving the way for the endless paranoid sci-fi thrillers of the early 1970s (and eventually the just plain thrillers of the 1990s), 'Planet of the Apes' has an astonishingly deep and complex political spectrum, encompassing everything from civil rights to gender roles. Needless to say, this effortlessly mimics the turbulent times of America's most strained year in its history, but rather than simply transplant a welter of unpleasant problems into a free-form fiction, Wilson and Serling's script cleverly works these issues into similar but ultimately different contexts. Also welcome is a sense of humour and irony that counterbalances the complexity of the proceedings.
A modern viewer such as myself would be initially surprised at the size of this sci-fi's brain, or indeed that it even has one. Anyone savvy with pop culture will doubtlessly associate Mr Charlton 'Moses' Heston with the rootin'-tootin' all-American country club that is the National Rifle Association via Michael Moore, but one must remember that at this stage he was fighting alongside Martin Luther King for Civil Rights and championing the cause of freedom, refreshingly honestly before the cynicism of old age. How else could Chuck play a character who's mantra goes by 'never trust anyone over 30'? Politics does come into character choices for actors, always has done.
Admittedly, Heston has never been on par with James Stewart or Cary Grant, both still going strong in the 1960s, but at least here he puts his distinctly American good-looks to advantage and turns in a solid, amiable performance.
However, the main treasure is the make-up effects, never dated a second in the 40 years since they were brought to the screen. Modern methods would have improved them, but in their own way they are as convincing and realistic as any CG trickery (though, you can tell it was hard for the actors to speak through those cumbersome mouths.) It's easy to forget also the talent behind those prosthetics, but the cast of simian thespians more than bring each chimp their own personality. McDowell and Hunter, the two clashing manifestations of religion and science, or progress and repression, either way, both inhabit their ape characters totally, with no better an example than the monkey trial. Even if it were made in an ordinary court with homo sapien counterparts it would still be a sweeping piece of character acting worthy of any polished drama. That such quality and professionalism manifests in a low-key but 100%-Trekkified sci-fi is all the more ingenious, and brilliant.
Schaffner's direction is the icing on the cake. Using his own creativity with camera movements he switches to daring POVs and obscure, unusual angles; or he goes into his full-blown Patton-epic mode with symbolic, iconic framing. Either choice peppers its way into a bright, arid but thriving film world, one of the best fantasy universes to ever be evoked onscreen. That rarely happens in cinema, and rarer still is a film that does it with all the heart, soul and mind of a timeless classic. Can you believe this was all done for less than $6 million?

This is up there for me as one of the best sci-fi films ever. Great lines such as 'get your paws off me you damn dirty ape' will go down in movie history. The first scenes where the apes are introduced in the hunt sequence must have been mind blowing to a cinema audience in the 60's and the ending is one of the best to a film which is shocking, stirring and thought provoking. This sits head and shoulders over the remake which I find confusing (still don't understand the ending). The monkey make up in the remake is better but hey that was made in 2001 with all the advancements and this was made in 1968, over 30 years before. If you want to be entertained watch this version

The only version of the film worth watching seeing as it was written by the "Twilight God" himself Rod Serling, don't waste your time on the Marky Mark version.

such an awesome film old but a classic the ending is just great and the storyline is something different

The 1st and by far the best of the series of innovative sci-fi movies that was also a TV series.
The problem with the others is that this story was all about the revalation at the end of the movie, so any follow-up was doomed before it was made.
An exellent film with a real message and some great scenes especially the 1st encounter with the apes.